Monday, April 16, 2012

"THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL BOBBLEHEAD IN HISTORY"

I'm not really a fan of bobbleheads, in general, but I have to admit I was intrigued when I heard that thebobblehead.com website has been selling a John Wilkes Booth bobblehead for $19.95. They market it as "The most controversial bobblehead in history."

It's been making a bit of a name for itself lately. News stories are surfacing about the bobbleheads being pulled off the shelves in Gettysburg and other places. It's surely in bad taste, but the most controversial? I dunno.

I want to say I'm offended, but I guess I'm not. It's pure marketing. It almost insures that people will buy both the Lincoln bobblehead AND the Booth bobblehead. After all, they're kind of a set.

For myself, the only bobblehead I've ever owned is of the American punk rock singer-songwriter G.G. Allin. Allin was probably the most disgusting individual in punk history. He routinely defecated on stage and threw it on his adoring fans. He engaged in fist fights with audience members and made numerous declarations that he would take his own life during one of his concerts.

He never got the chance. A drug overdose took him down before he could pull it off.

Of course, there are plenty of bobbleheads out there that people might find offensive. You just have to open your eyes and look.

Maybe I'm not the one to judge whether or not a John Wilkes Booth bobblehead is offensive, but it certainly says something about the world we live in. Everything can become a product.